Stand with retractable casters



Aug 25, 1952 H. G. TIFFANY STAND WITH RETRACTABLE CASTERS Filed July 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 mvENToR: Hrl-:Ro G. TIFFANY AT TORNEYS.

Aug. 26, 1952 ||I G, Tly-FANY 2,607,947

STAND WITH RETRACTABE cA'STERs Filed July 1, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 'INVEN TOR: HIER@ G. TIFFANY 'e BY )n-TORNEYS= Patented Aug. 26, 1952 lUNITED AsT.vi-Tirs PATENT 2 STAND WrrH RETRAoTABLE-CASTERS .Y n e Hiero G. Tiffany, Maplewood, Mo.

' l ApplicatonvJulyl, 1949, Serial No. 102,591.

of the typedescribed which may be quickly and easilyassembled and disassembled for packing,

shipping or storing.- 1

Further objects will appear from the description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

. Fig. 1is a plan view of a stand embodying this invention,` f

Fig. Zvis4 a View in side elevation,

3gis a plan'detail, a section, on line v3 3 of Figure2. f

Fig. 4 is asectionvat 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectionat 5-5 of Fig. 2, partly brokenaway showing the mechanism for `raising the stand or table on its casters.

Fig. 6 is a section at 6 6V of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section at I-'I of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a perspective View of a table embodying the invention,

In accordance with this invention, generally stated, a stand ortable is provided which maybe raised from solidl feet to casters and lowered from casters to solid feet by simply depressing and raising a treadle. The' treadle is connected to av cross rodequipped'with actuators each of which engages two arms. The arms engage blocks, slidably mounted Within the legs of the stand or table,.in suoha way that the blocks cannotfallfrom the hollowv legs unless the engaging arms are withdrawn therefrom. The cross-,rod actuators and operating arms are enkclosest-withinr hollow cross-pieces. Thesel crosspieces, with their-'enclosed mechanism, together Withthe ylegs,vfeet and upper cross-pieces comprisefthe'two,Y end frames of the device. The end frames are joined by cross members of such construction as to make an exceptionally sturdy rigid frame but one which may easily be assembled and disassembled. Onevof the four solid feet is provided with an adjusting mechanism so that allowance may be made for uneven ooring. Drop leaves are removably and adjustably secured to the end frames.

Referring to the drawings, y legs I, equipped with ,solid feet 2 and casters 3 are joined at their upper ends by cross-pieces 4 which form the upper members .of the end frames, and by crosspieces 5 which serve to connect the end frames. In the'embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the crossl-pieces 5 are slottedl to allow adjustment of slotted channel 6. Slotted channels 6 carry supporting clips I whose flanges, inclined inwardly, are adapted vto support and secure the feet of 4 olaiis. (c1. 11s- 33) 2 business machines. In the in Fig. 8, cross-pieces vIl and -5 support a solid tray top. Cross pieces 4, inverted U-shaped in cross-section, cover the open upper ends of the legs I, andare bolted to the legs I, the bolts 8 extending through both sides of legs and crosspieces as shown in Fig. 3. Cross-pieces 5, also inverted U-shaped in cross-section, having ai section of their top at each end cut away,- andl the inside projecting members 9 thus produced on each end, are bent at right angles and boltedv to cross-pieces 4 as indicated in Figs. 1', 2 and 3. The outside projecting members I0 are bolted to the legs I as shown in Fig. 3. A lowercross-y piece II, having an inverted U-shape in cross-- section, joins one ofthe pairs of legs I joined atv their tops by one of cross-pieces 5. The other pair of legs I is not directly joinedby a lower cross' piece, leaving an open well bridged atthe top vby a cross-piece 5 as shown in Figs. 2 and 8,-

termediate their ends, adding rigidity toIV thek open side of the stand and protectingV cross-rod I4. A treadle I5 is fastened to cross-rod I4.

Drop-leaves I6 are provided with angles I1 and I8 hinged at I9. Angles I8 are bolted to those legs I connected by upper end frame crosspieces 4. tended position, a support 20, the ends of which project through holes in angles I1, rest in slots 2| in angles I8 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. y

One of the solid feet 2 is provided with 'slotted flanges 22, embracing and slidably secured tothe leg I by a screw 4I., provided with a nut'"`ar1dworking in a slot in one of the flanges so as to be vertically movable.' A bracket 23 is 'secured to the leg above the slotted flanged'footl 'An adjusting bolt 24, in bracketv 23 can thusbe" turned up or down to adjust the position of .the slotted flanged foot.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 5 through 7, cross-rod I4, carrying treadle I5, terminates'in actuators 25 at substantially rightanglesto the rod I4. Actuators 25 terminate in wedges 26.

Actuators 25 are cut away somewhat at 21 to I provide a at bearing surface against stops 28, to prevent transverse displacement of the crossrod I4. In the embodiment shown, stops 28' are' the heads of stud bolts threaded into metalblocks l 29. Metal blocks 29, secured to and within crosspieces I2 by bolts, support cross-rody I4, whichris prevented from vertical upward and from hori-`l zontal displacement by the top and sides of verti- I cal slots 3U in cross-pieces I2, by which slotscross embodiment shown When the drop-leaves I6 are in "eX-'f' rod I4 is'inserted into cross-pieces I2. Arms 3|,

overlappingV at theirinner ends, and pivoted at 32,y in cross-pieces I2, pass through slots 35 in legs I,`

and engage caster blocks 33 at two places, at the upper surface of the blocks and within recesses The blocks 33 are drilled to 34 in the blocks.

receive the shanks of casters 3.: 'Cross-rod-j actuators 25 engage the lower edges of. the overlapped inner ends of arms 3| and-in the actuone arm in each pair of arms 3|.

In operation; assuming the standtowbe resting on-its feet,-y theinner -endswof the-arms 3Iz'are down, the outerVA ends up, and- Ithe lcaster Ablocks 33,. raised.V Actuators A25 vlie substantially horizontally and the treadle I is raised To lraise theA stand onto the casters, treadle I5 -issimpleudepressed, which rotates cross-rod III and-actuators 25, raises the inner ends of arms-3|', depressesl caster blocks33;V and raises the stand. Wedges-` 261.engage notches S5tomaintain that position. Theaweight of the treadle- |5and the weight' of thestand itselftend to hold the wedges -ZEswithin thenotches 35.. However, with thelleverageof the ytreadle |5,..wliich is considerably longer than actuators? 5; and the singlenotches '35,1 the-stand is.V easily lowered onto its -ieet by 'merely raising` the .treadle I5.

'Ihe construction of arms 3 Ir andlblocks 33 with" recesses l3f! Vis suchthat even if` the stand is lifted manually .thelblocks cannot fall fromthe'legs I." In order .to disassemble theistand sufficiently tomakea at, compact package, itis only necessary tol remove Ytheboltssecuring the .three crossfpieces 5J and II, thechannel I2; and the blocks29; Removal of blocks 29 allows cross-rod |41tofsimpledrop from the slot 36. Drop-l-eaves I6 may beremoved orA left on, since they fold down compactly against the end frames, In this y' method offdisassemblng, the enclosed operating connections `need not be disturbed, the caster `blocks 33: remain secured,l the connections are protected by their enclosing cross-pieces, and a smooth flat package may be made.

A sturdy, rigid stand is thus provided, raised onto and lowered from casters by a simple, rugged mechanism and with a minimum of eiiort. It mayl easily be ycompletely disassembled and may be disassembled sumciently to form a flat, compact, packageA without disturbing the Yenclosed operating mechanism.

Itis obvious that `various changes may be made, Within-the scope of the appended claims, in the details lof `construction -without departing from the;. spirit 'of this-invention;` it isv understood, therefore; that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown or described. For example, it is'iPlain that the construction of this stand mat7 be modied to allow the operating connections to engage the feet which can be made movable relative. to Vthe legs,` while the casters may be made verticallyixed. 1

Having thus describedfthe invention, what is claimed is: 1

1.j A'stand ofmthe character described, 'com-i prising, aframe having legs provided with feet, casters mounted on said legs for projection beyond said. legs, a cross-piece supported vby said legs, arms pivoted on said cross-piece, connected at their outer ends with 'said casters and overs' lappingyat -their inner, ends, and an actuator bridgingthe .inner ends of said armsfsaid actu- Vv atorgbeing maintained in caster projecting position by retaining means carried by at least one ofsadarms.

2.fA demountable stand'of the; character described comprising a pair of end frames each vhaving legs provided with feet, casters mounted on said legs for projection beyond said legs, a cross ,piece supported by said legs, arms pivoted orrsaid lcrosspiece, connected at their outer ends with said casters and overlapping at their inner Lendsgfand 4an'actuator carried by said cross piece and bridging the inner ends of said arms and adapted for shifting said arms to project said casters, said actuator being maintained in caster projecting` position-v bye retaining lmeans'scarried by'atil'east one of said *armsfsaidend frame -beingf connected by a `pair-vof detachable-uppercrosspieces. j

Y 3JfA1-fdemountable Stand Y `of zthe fgcharacter de;- scribed` comprising'a i pair of end' frames leaclr having f legs connected fat their uppermends byV an upper cross member and near their lower ends"Y bya lower crosspiece,z .said legsibeingprovided with feet and Y castersmounted lwithinfsaid 'flegs'f for projection beyond fthelegs', a'I-treadle inter-V mediate the lower cross piecesotheend frames, a cross'rod connected/to the treadle anddemountably journalledf in the lowergcro'ss piece 'off each of said end frames, an actuator on eachend of` said cross rod anda pair of arms -pivotedlon the lower cross piece of each oi said endframes, said arms being connected' at :their outer ends with said casters and overl'appingat 'their inner ends, the inner ends of said arms beingjoridgecl-vv by the actuator, said'fact-uator beingadaptedzfor shifting said arms -to project-said casters-'said actuator being 'maintained iin caster-'projectingposition by retaining .means carried-by vvat-ileast one of said arms, .and saidendframesbeing'connected by upperscross pieces:offhollow'section having side flanges engagingthe uppercross members and the legs respectivelyg 4. A standfof thev characterdescribed-comprising a pair of end framesehaving legs provided with Y feet and casters mounted within said V'legs s for projection beyond the legs, a 'lowercrossepiece mounted on each of saidend frames between saidlegs,fa treadle intermediate the lower cross-pieces; across rod connected to the treadleandmounted' on the lower cross pieces,V an actuator oneachj end of said cross rodv anda-pair of-arms 'pivoted- '11 on the lower cross piece of each ofsaidframesg-f said Varms lbeing connectedfat their' outer-ends with said casters and `overlapping vattheirlinner i ends, the inner ends of said arms -being'rbridged by the actuator, said actuator being Aadapted for shifting said yarms to project said casters'A and being maintained in caster-projecting position-.by

Y retaining meansrcarriedfbylat least one of-sai'd arms. l

HIERO G; TIFFANYQ REFERENCES .CIIED The Vfollowing references-gare of recordfyin the 1' le of this patent: i

UNITED STATES PATENTS .1 i 

